Planning for Peak: What 2024 Taught Us – and How to Win in 2025

At Infinity Nation, we’ve helped ecommerce and lead generation brands navigate over 20 peak trading periods. Our WHY is clear: to bring clarity to brands in an overwhelming digital landscape, cutting through complexity and guiding growth with confidence.

Here’s what 2024 revealed – and how you can use these insights to sharpen your 2025 performance.

2024 at a Glance

• UK Black Friday sales: +9.5% YoY (Barclaycard)
• UK ecommerce sales: +32% YoY (Global-e)
• Top growth: Housewares (+24%), Footwear (+15%), Supplements (+11%) (Sweet Analytics)
• Struggles: Skincare (-3%), Accessories (-21%) (Sweet Analytics)

Takeaway: If your growth was under +10%, you’re trailing the leading pack.

What Changed in 2024?

• Calendar impact: Black Friday fell on the 29th Nov – later than 2023 – boosting sales but shortening the Christmas shopping window.
• Savvy shoppers: Which.co.uk exposed “false deals” – 60% of ‘was/now’ prices had only been in place for half the year.
• Consumer tactics: Buyers increasingly used comparison sites and basket-abandon strategies to push for better offers.

Trust and transparency became as important as price.

Impact of Black Friday on Sales

• Paid channels (Google Ads, Facebook Ads) had a higher-than-average share of new users
• Year-on-year (YoY) growth over the Black Friday period, with some clients achieving significant milestones (e.g., £1M in monthly sales)
• Time lag and Touchpoint Analysis: November and December up 4% (vs September and October), but the number of touchpoints reduced (-3.5%). Indicating that users had researched and decided on their purchase but held off for a better deal.
• Consistent and attractive promotions achieved YoY sales growth between 10% and 28%.
• Charitable contributions in place of discounts created a unique value proposition, although visibility was a challenge.

What Worked (and What Didn’t)

Winners:

• Early, consistent promotions across November
• Bundling and targeted discounts to protect margin
• Strong SEO and well-balanced paid media plans
• Values-driven campaigns (charity links, thoughtful discounts)

Losers:

• Last-minute promotions with no build-up
• Deep sitewide discounts that destroyed margin
• Brands opting out of Black Friday without a strong alternative
• Overlapping, endless offers that weakened impact

Top Tips for Leaders Planning 2025

• Start by May: Don’t leave BFCM to the last minute – plan early.
• Know your numbers: Build strategy around CAC and LTV, not just sales volume.
• Bundle smart: Protect profits while boosting basket size.
• Be transparent: Offer guarantees that build trust (e.g., price-match if reduced later).
• Diversify: Use Programmatic and TV to build awareness and grow your database ahead of peak.
• Think year-round: Don’t over-rely on November – build consistent sales growth through the year.

Case in Point: Furniturebox UK

By reworking their product feed and targeting “invisible” products, we helped Furniturebox generate:

• £120k incremental revenue
• 520 orders
• 455% ROAS

Proof that clarity in execution, not just bigger discounts, drives sustainable results.

Final Word from Al Keck, CEO Infinity Nation

Nominated as the people’s vote in 2025’s ‘Top ecommerce voices’ and Chairing our unique ‘ecommerce collective’ peer-to peer networking events, Al has a privileged position to comment on the trading patterns and results seen in Q4 2024:

“BFCM is no longer a guaranteed win. The brands who won in 2024 knew their numbers, built trust with customers, and started planning as early as May. Growth doesn’t come from throwing discounts at the wall – it comes from strategy, clarity, and execution.”

Ready to Take Control of 2025?

• Benchmark your performance: Request a complimentary Infinity Nation Growth Audit.

• Download our Board-ready insight summary.